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$Date: 2014/07/21 08:13:24 $

Image: The Cataract. From David Strother (): The Adventures of Porte Crayon and his Cousins.

History

1804

discovered by 18-year-old Bernard Weyer, a young trapper, looking for his missing trap.

1806

opened to the public, first show cave of the United States, named Weyers Cave.

26-SEP-1864

visited by W. W. Miles.

1889

electric light installed.

Description

Image: Solomon's Temple. From David Strother (): The Adventures of Porte Crayon and his Cousins.

Grand Caverns is the oldest show cave in the USA.
It is open for the public continually for nearly 200 years.
At first it was called Weyer's Cave, after an early owner of the cave,
later it was renamed Grand Cavern.
The cave is famous for its numerous formations.
Most unususal are the rare shields, which are shaped like disks.
Grand has an abundance of 250 shields.
Cathedral Hall is 85m long and 21m high, the biggest chamber in this cave
and one of the largest rooms of any cavern in the East.

The caves of the Shenandoah Valley were formed in mostly horizontal limestone
layers.
This cave is extraordinary, as the limestone is folded at this place.
At the place of the cave, the layers are vertical not horizontal, turned on-end
by tectonic forces.

Around Grand Cavern several smaller caves are also open to the public.
They can be visited by groups after appointment.

During the Civil War the cave was visited by both Confederate and Union
soldiers.
As common in this times, the visitors left their names on the walls of the cave.
More than 230 signatures on the walls could be identified being from civil war
soldiers.

A funny story is told about the famous Confederate General, Stonewall Jackson.
He once camped nearby and allowed his men to visit the cave.
But when asked, if he was going to enter the cave, he answered
"No, I think not.
I fear I shall be underground soon enough, and I have no desire to speed the
process!"